


What Comes After Rain

by madness_on_the_milano



Series: The Flora Colossi and the Enhanced Procyonid [3]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Groot Tries His Best, Soup, Taking Care of Friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 11:40:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14670318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madness_on_the_milano/pseuds/madness_on_the_milano





	What Comes After Rain

 

 "I am Groot." _'You, Rocket, are sick.'_ Groot declared.

"I am not!" Rocket argued feebly from where he lay sprawled in the pilot seat. "Unlike you, _I_ am the picture of health!"

"I am Groot." _'Healthy people don't spend their time curled under blankets wishing they were dead.'_

Rocket huffed. "You been spying on me or somethin'? Must have happened days ago."

Groot stared incredulously at him. "I am Groot!" _'That was this_ morning _when you were curled up in a ball on my chest!'_ A very cute, fluffy little ball which had snored and snuffled adorably. Not that Groot was stupid enough to tell his friend that.

"Maybe I've been feeling a little colder. What's it to you?"

"I am Groot!" _'Please let me look after you. You look utterly wretched!'_

Rocket made a waving gesture toward himself. "Keep 'em coming, Groot. You know how I love being complimented."

"I am Groot." _'This is what comes of dancing in the rain.'_

"I was not dancing in the rain! I was enjoying it. So were you, only _you_ don't have this bullshit to deal with!"

It had been nice, standing in the rain, his best friend standing on his shoulder, just feeling the water cascade fiercely upon them. Being a plantlike creature, Groot had been okay, if slightly swollen from the absorption of the rain. Rocket, who had been soaked thoroughly didn't fare quite so well and Groot regretted not thinking about the fact that Rocket had fur which was difficult to dry after being rained heavily upon. They had stood in the rain only the day before and Rocket _still_ felt the chill. Groot couldn't help feeling guilty. If _only_ he'd thought of the mammalian body. But what did _he_ know about Rocket's limitations after all?

"I am Groot!" _'I wish I'd thought about your fur. I didn't realise it absorbed like it does. I feel to blame for it! I am sorry, Rocket.'_

"Don't be an idiot. I didn't even know, so don't worry about it." Rocket touched his stomach lightly. "I'm starving. What do we got to eat?"

Groot brightened. Here, he could be of assistance! He went to the small cupboard and found the cans of soup. He didn't eat them personally, he had the Xandarian apples and a whole sack of fibre bars, but Rocket preferred the canned stuff because it usually contained meat to which Groot, like all Flora Colossi, had a strong intolerance. Usually, Rocket drank soup cold than, in his own words, screw around with the portable oven when the soup was the same flavour cold as it was hot, but Groot made an exception on his behalf for this occasion. He put the can in the oven, pressed the button and waited. Five minutes later, the oven exploded in an engulfing black cloud of smoke. The extractor on the ship leapt into action, but Rocket came running to investigate and looked up at him in bemusement. "The hell did you do, Groot?"

"I am Groot!" _'The oven exploded!'_

"No shit! _How_ did it explode?"

Groot carefully brought out the charred can and held it to Rocket. "I am Groot!" _'I made you soup!'_

Rocket looked at him gravely. "You must _never_ attempt to cook again. Give it here, it'll be mostly edible." Rocket took the soup and gulped down the can's contents in a single swallow.

"I am Groot?" _'Did I do something bad?'_

Rocket shook his head. "Not really. The oven was shitty anyways. Now I can take it apart to make stuff, so it ain't all that bad."

"I am Groot?" 'Do you feel warmer?'

"Sure do."

"I am Groot?" _'Really?'_

"Yup." Rocket hurled the can into the garbage disposal. "Nothing like soup as hot as a blue star to get the blood boiling."

Groot beamed proudly. He had done it! "I am Groot!" _'I'm very glad to hear it! Do you need anything else to keep you warm?'_

"Nope. Blue star soup is fine."

"I am Groot." _'Would you like a leaf?'_

Rocket nodded. "Yeah. That might be a good idea." He took the proffered leaf and chewed it. "It _was_ a good idea. Thanks. Now I feel much better!"

"I am Groot?" _'All better?'_

"One hundred percent better. Now, will you _quit_ saying I'm sick? I clearly couldn't be better."

Groot couldn't see why not. He nodded in agreement and let Rocket climb up him to perch on his shoulder. Sometimes, Rocket just liked to relax up there. Groot didn't mind in the slightest, indeed, it felt nice to have his friend trust him so much that he wanted to be close like this. He went back to the cockpit, assuming that it was where Rocket would most like to be and sat down in the pilot's seat. All he could see were dozens and dozens of faraway stars, _suns_ , in dazzling hues of red, orange, yellow and white. Not a _blue_ sun in sight. Maybe the cold had gone to Rocket's brain. He hummed softly, feeling Rocket lean against his head, humming along to the random tune. He reached up to find Rocket's paw to see if he really _was_ warm and was happy to find that his hand felt the same temperature as it usually was.

"Whatcha doing?"

"I am Groot." _'Making sure you're okay.'_

"I'm fine, Groot. Take more than a little cold to kill me."

Groot nodded. "Mmm."

"You know, I could have quit dickin' around in the rain. I _chose_ not to. Because it was worth getting cold for."

There was no disagreement Groot could make. "I am Groot." _'I know that. I just feel a little bad.'_

"Well, don't," was Rocket's advice. "I don't regret it for a second. Water that falls from the sky is a miracle. If I could make it rain inside this ship, we'd never be dry."

Groot rumbled with laughter. He wouldn't put it past Rocket to create a machine to make this happen for real. Maybe he could even use the oven's parts for it. Perhaps, this would have to be a secret thought. He didn't like to see Rocket shiver so fiercely as he had.

_"Stop_ thinking!" Rocket warned seriously. "There are worse frickin' things than getting a little cold. We _both_ know that."

That was true. Groot used his head to affectionately nudge Rocket. He was right. There were much worse things than a spot of cold. Things they had been through. Things they would _never_ go through again. "I am Groot." 'We _don't ever have to worry about those worse things again.'_

"No, you're right. Where should we go next?"

"I am Groot." _'Somewhere it doesn't rain so heavily.'_

"Killjoy. How about somewhere with an actual population?"

"I am Groot!" _'Xandar!'_

"Somewhere we ain't been before."

"I am Groot." _'As long as you're with me, I don't care.'_

"Of course I'll be with you. Someone has to land the ship."

Groot grumbled half-heartedly. He was perfectly capable, it was just that the ship had a tendency to crash slightly when he landed it. He was a crash-lander and Rocket insisted that there was nothing exactly wrong about it, but it meant that they would be shipless in days if Groot landed every time. At least he got to take off and fly the ship sometimes. "I am Groot!" _'You really are back to your usual self, but I'm not sure you're completely well. Your nose is still wet!'_

"It's _meant_ to be wet! Holy shit, you never told me that friendship meant you worrying like an old woman over me!"

"I am Groot?" _'Oh. Is it bad?'_

"No. Nothin' you do is bad."

"I am Groot." _'You will never admit you felt sick, will you?'_

Rocket sighed aloud. "Oh my god! Fine, I felt cold and crappy. Happy now?"

"I am Groot?" _'Rocket, whatever happened to 'no more secrets'?'_

"It wasn't a secret. I just tried to keep the truth hidden."

"I am Groot." _'So it was a lie instead.'_

"Exactly!" Rocket grinned unabashedly at him and hopped down to play with the screen of the console.

Groot wondered how he'd found such a stubborn best friend. He rumbled a deep sigh. "I am Groot." _'Oh, Rocket.'_

"Don't worry, buddy. We're going to find our next destination and then our lives as the universe's greatest bounty hunters is gonna begin!"

Rocket sounded happy and Groot smiled to hear it. "I am Groot!" _'I can hardly wait!'_

 

 


End file.
